Team Oregon is supported by grant funds from the Oregon Department of Transportation, Safety Division.

What Would You Do? #1

CORNERING You are riding on a curving, two-lane road. You are traveling just below the speed limit. You round a right-hand curve and feel your bike begin to drift outward, with your wheels almost touching the centerline.

Suddenly, an oncoming car appears, straddling the centerline. You feel like a deer caught in the headlights. What would you do?

The Wrong Response

Many riders freeze up in this situation. They roll off the throttle and stare at the oncoming vehicle … and do little else. Also known as target fixation, it can easily lead to disaster: The bike tends to go where you look.

Incorrect

Freeze

Stare

The Right Response

The best response is to hold the throttle steady, focus your head and eyes where you want to go – the turn’s exit is your target, not the oncoming vehicle! – and lean the bike harder by countersteering (pressing forward on the inside handgrip) and tightening your line.

Correct

Hold throttle steady

Look through the turn

Countersteer

The Reality

Running wide in a corner is the most common cause of motorcycle fatalities in Oregon. Even experienced riders fall into this trap if they’re not looking far enough ahead. It doesn't matter whether it's an oncoming car, a tighter turn than the rider expected or some other obstacle. When a rider suddenly decides they’re not going to make it, they often panic, look down and forget to steer through the turn.

When the road surface is good, a motorcycle should be able to negotiate a curve safely at its advisory speed limit – as long as the rider stays steady on the gas, looks through the turn and countersteers to control path of travel.

If the concepts of target fixation or countersteering are unfamiliar to you, or if you have trouble with corners, Team Oregon recommends you seek help: Enroll in a training course and get some instruction and practice in these critical skills.